


Firsts

by Katmstanton



Series: Oceans Series [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, Gen, Happy, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24390820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katmstanton/pseuds/Katmstanton
Summary: Part 2 to "Oceans"
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Series: Oceans Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761124
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31





	1. First Night

**First Night**

It was early, too early for any normal human being to be awake. However, their little one had other ideas and as the cries woke them both for the fifth time that night he groaned and rolled over, moving to go towards the noise. 

“Go back to sleep Rafi.. I’ve got him.” 

He didn’t argue with her and instead pulled a pillow over his head and spoke an incoherent sentence which she could not understand or even want to know what he was trying to say. 

As she moved to get up she looked back at her husband. Smiling at the picture before her as she noticed the pillow over his head. She could see the slight outlines of his dark curls poking through the top of where the pillow laid and she shook her head before heading towards the nursery. 

She picked up the newborn and held him to her chest as she soothed him. She knew his cries by now and this one in particular was not a hungry cry and instead was something entirely different. The cry didn’t make her worry or be anxious but the more she tried to rock him the more upset he became. 

“Tomas.. I’ve got you.. Shhh…” She said softly as she gently swayed him in her arms. 

“Let’s get you changed and see if that makes you feel a bit better, hm?” 

She laid the newborn on the changing table and worked to get him settled for at least a few more hours. She listened to his cries soften as she pulled on new pajamas over his tiny body but he still was not settled. 

After a few moments of trying to see if he would nurse back to sleep with no avail she was becoming worried that something was wrong. She moved towards their bedroom still holding the whimpering and crying newborn. As she entered the room she heard Rafael grunt as he rolled over before letting out a small chuckle before sitting up to look at her. 

“What is so funny? I think something is wrong? I can’t get him to calm down Raf.. we’ve rocked, changed, and tried to nurse but nothing is working. I just don’t know -” 

“- let me take him Liv.” 

He moved to sit up further to move a few pillows behind him before he held out his arms for his son. She gently handed him the newborn and she let out an emotional and frustrated sigh as his cries had become worse since they moved into the bedroom. 

Rafael moved to lay back on his pillows and gently placed his son on his bare chest. He patted Tomas’s back softly and whispered to him in spanish. As Rafael talked to the newborn and kissed the top of his soft, dark curls Tomas began to calm down. After a few more minutes of soothing by his father, Tomas was softly sleeping once again. 

“I tried that and he hated it.. I am failing at this Rafi.”

He looked up at her and saw tears in her eyes as he held Tomas in his arms. With a small smile he motioned for her to come closer as he lifted the blanket on her side of the bed with his free arm. With one hand still on the newborn he moved his other around her as she curled to his side. 

“It’s not you, mi amor. Trust me.”

“Then what is it Raf? How is it nothing I did worked but you are the baby whisperer?”

He chuckled at her choice of words before kissing both of their heads again. As he leaned his head against hers he pulled her closer to the two of them

“Rafael I do not know what you think is so funny tonight. I tried everything and he wanted nothing of it.”

“That was the problem, Liv.”

“What was?”

“YOU tried everything. It looks like your baby boy is actually a papi’s boy.”

She looked up at him questionly as she noticed the sly smile on his face. 

“What are you talking about?”

“That cry.. He did it at the hospital and would calm down when I held him. When I heard it tonight I didn’t think anything of it until you came in here and that’s when I knew. That is is “Papi cry.” 

Olivia smiled and chuckled as he explained the cries of their son and felt more in love with him at that moment than she ever had in their time together. 

“I love you Rafi.”

“Te amo, Olivia Barba.”


	2. First Visit

**First Visit**

It was his first week back to work he felt that he had missed so much already with Tomas and their little family. The squad had brought him a pretty difficult case to work and with the long days and nights at the office he was missing not just his namesake but also Noah and Liv. 

He felt bad because he was not able to be there with them like he wanted to and even though Liv would tell him over and over that they were fine he knew she didn’t want to add anymore stress to his day or night. It wasn’t until he heard a commotion outside of his office that he realized just how much she had actually taken on without asking for help. 

As he was mid argument with Sonny and the squad about a warrant he heard the all too familiar wail from the other side of his office door. The noise had caught the others off guard as well. 

“What is going on out there?” Sonny asked as he went to open the door right as Noah barreled running towards him. 

Sonny and the rest of the squad had stepped out of the office to greet their Lieutenant and see their newest detective again. 

“Papi!” 

“Hola amigo! What are you doing here?” 

As Rafael picked up the 4 year old everyone started to funnel back into his office with Olivia and a wailing Tomas followed closely behind. When he saw the two of them he knew she needed a hand. He could see it on her face even through the smiles and hugs she was giving everyone. 

He put Noah down before walking over to the group and gave Olivia a soft kiss on her forehead. Sonny was trying to soothe the newborn by gently rocking him with Amanda trying to softly sing to him but his cries only intensified. 

“Tomas cries too much” Noah remarked from the sofa where he was sitting with his Uncle Fin. 

“Carisi let me..” 

He moved to take the newborn in his arms and after a few moments the crying softened enough for him to take the bottle Sonny had been trying to give him at Liv’s insistence. 

As he gently rocked the newborn in his arms he quickly forgot where he was and after a few moments heard a throat clear from across the room. When he looked up Sonny’s eyes were like saucers while Fin and Amanda were both giving him grins. 

“What?”

“Rafi.. you were singing to him.” 

When Liv spoke he felt his face and ears grow red and become warm. He normally did not allow anyone other than Liv and his family to hear him sing or see this side of him.

“So.. back to this warrant issue?” Amanda spoke up hoping his attention was elsewhere and he would be distracted. 

“Still not happening detective. Get me something substantial and I will get your warrant.” He retorted causing Fin and Liv to both chuckle as Carmen walked into the office. 

“Oh! Mr. Barba I didn’t realize.. I am so sorry.” 

“It’s okay Carmen. I am playing double duty.”

The two shared a smile between them and it was then he saw the file in her hand. 

“Those for me?”

“Yes, sir. It is the file on the priors from his juvenile days.” 

As she moved to hand the file to him Sonny interjected and grabbed it as he gave her a grin. Rafael and Liv shared a knowing smirk and he decided not to harass the younger detective until a later time about interjecting him. 

“Thank you. Umm.. Carmen are you doing anything right now?” He asked before she shook her head. 

“No. Need anything?”

“Do you think you could take Noah here for some ice cream while I finish this up?” 

As he spoke the young boy’s eyes lit up at the sound of ice-cream. When he looked at Liv he saw the look on her face. She did not say anything and she did not need to. If he allowed Noah to get ice-cream he would be the one dealing with the sugar high later. 

“I think that is an excellent idea! What do you say Noah?”

“Yes!”

“Do you want me to take this little guy too?” 

He looked down at the sleeping baby before glancing at Liv once again. He could see the exhaustion on her face and had a feeling this was the first time Tomas had actually been asleep all day. As he softly kissed his son’s head he shook his head. 

“No. I’ve got him. Thank you though.”

As Carmen and Noah left for ice-cream the rest of the team went back to work. He was able to balance his arguments and sassiness with being a father just fine. As Tomas grew restless and would whine when he would get upset he calmed himself and would walk around telling the team and especially Sonny, very matter of factly, how things would be in his “papi voice” making Fin laugh more times than he could count. 

It wasn’t long before they finished and as everyone went to gather the files they realized Liv was softly snoring on Rafael’s couch. At the same time, Noah and Carmen had returned and from the sounds of it she had allowed him more than once scoop. 

“Want me to take Noah for a bit? I am sure he would love to play with Jesse for a bit.” Amanda offered and he gave her a soft smile before she nodded and went to gather the rambunctious little boy. 


End file.
